Updated May 20, 2026 at 9:02 AM CDT
Polls have closed on the busiest primary election day so far in the 2026 midterms. Voters in six states made their choices.
In Kentucky, President Trump successfully ousted another incumbent -- Rep. Thomas Massie -- who did not align one hundred percent with the president's agenda. Meanwhile, Democrats in Georgia and other states continued to see sustained enthusiasm in turnout.
Voters expressed concerns over rising gas prices, affordability, the war in Iran and how the Trump administration has handled those issues.
NPR Network reporting teams across the country followed these consequential primaries, the candidates and the issues in their communities.
Skip to a specific state:
Alabama | Georgia | Idaho | Kentucky | Oregon | Pennsylvania
The recent SCOTUS decision has already changed plans for Alabama's primary
Redistricting efforts across the South, following the SCOTUS ruling, have made Alabama's primary confusing. Primaries for 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th congressional Districts have been rescheduled. Primaries for the 3rd, 4th and 5th congressional Districts continued as planned.
The primaries also decided the matchup to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Kay Ivey: Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville will face former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones.
Read: The Supreme Court avoids taking up a fight over Voting Rights Act enforcement for now
Alabama resources:
📊 Results: : Head here for full results
In Georgia, Republicans dominate spending and Democrats drive record turnout
Tuesday's primary elections in Georgia have been defined by record-setting fundraising, contentious Republican primaries and turnout driven by Democrats.
State officials said Democrats accounted for roughly 53% of the primary ballots compared to 45% for Republicans, with the rest comprising nonpartisan-only contests.
Many of the top races are headed to runoffs, including the Republican race to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the country.
The governor's race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to be another expensive, closely watched race this November. Billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson and Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will face off June 16 in a runoff for the Republican nomination, according to an Associated Press race call.
The winner will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who clinched the nomination outright, according to the Associated Press.
In a pair of state Supreme Court races, Republicans fended off Democratic challengers in contests that took on heightened attention following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision weakening part of the Voting Rights Act.
Read: These men voted for President Trump. They have very different views of how he's doing
Georgia resources:
📊 Results: Head here for full results
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Georgia, check out WABE's election coverage and try GPB's personalized Voter Guide
All 105 legislative seats were on the ballot in Idaho
As Boise State Public Radio's James Dawson reports, all state legislative races were on the ballot, as well as key U.S. House races. For a look at how those races shook out, take a look at BSPR's election blog.
Idaho resources:
📊 Results: Head here for full results
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Idaho, read Boise State Public Radio's full rundown here.
The race in Kentucky to replace McConnell and Massie is defeated
In Kentucky, the crowded Democratic primary to flip Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat squared off. As Louisville Public Media's Sylvia Goodman explains, a Democrat has not represented the state in the U.S. Senate in more than 25 years.
In one of the first calls of the night, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr won the Republican nomination after receiving the president's endorsement earlier this month, according to a race call by The Associated Press. He will face former state Rep. Charles Booker, a Democrat, who lost to incumbent Sen. Rand Paul in 2022.
In addition to the race to replace McConnell, incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary challenge from Trump-backed Ed Gallrein.
Kentucky resources:
📊 Results: Head here for full results
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in KY head to vote.lpm.org.
The race for governor of Oregon heats up
On Tuesday, Oregonians nominated gubernatorial candidates and decided not to introduce statewide gas taxes.
Republican State Sen. Christine Drazan will face off against Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in November, a rematch of the 2022 gubernatorial election when Kotek the race with 47% of the vote.
Oregon resources:
📊 Results: Head here for full results
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Oregon, check out OPB's Voter Guide.
PA voters test the definition of 'progressive' and decide three toss-up GOP seats
Pennsylvania is home to at least three competitive races that could help decide the balance of the power in the House this fall.
As WHYY's Carmen Russell-Sluchansky reports, Philly's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary saw division between the candidates over Gaza and fundraising. State Rep. Chris Rabb, the race's progressive insurgent, won the primary, according to an Associated Press race call.
Three Republican-held congressional seats in the state are considered a toss-up according to the Cook Political Report, putting extra focus on those primary results.
Related: Some Trump-voting Catholics in Bucks County express buyer's remorse over papal dispute
Pennsylvania resources:
📊 Results: Head here for full results
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in PA, check out WHYY's election coverage and head to WESA's Voter Guide for the primary election.
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